Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen beat 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez 6-0 1-6 6-3 to reach the quarter final at the Tokyo Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo. Zheng Qinwen set up a semifinal clash against number six seed Diana Schnaider.
Zheng Qinwen won the first set by a bagel with three breaks of serve. Zheng went up a set and a break in the first game of the second set. Fernandez broke three times to win the second set 6-1 forcing the match to the third set. Zheng converted her second break point in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. The Chinese player held on her next service games and served out the win on her first match point to reach the sixth semifinal of the season.
Zheng became the first Chinese player to win Olympic singles gold medal in history when she triumphed in Paris. She also won the Ladies Open title in Palermo, finished runner-up in two finals at the Australian Open and in the WTA 1000 tournament in Wuhan, and reached the semifinal at the China Open before losing to Karolina Muchova.
“My life has changed after the Olympic Games and I could not walk on the street when I returned to play in China last month. Especially after I finished in China because I got big expectations, a lot of stress, a lot of pressure there to play good in the Chinese events. I already did one mistake after the Australian Open, I lost motivation and a couple of matches I should not lose”, said Zheng Qinwen.
Zheng set up a semifinal against Diana Schnaider, who advanced via walkover after her Japanese quarter final opponent Sayaka Ishii withdrew from the match.
Sofia Kenin beat Daria Kasatkina 6-3 6-4. Kenin went up a break twice at the start of the first set, but Kasatkina broke straight back both time to draw level to 2-2. Kenin won four consecutive games with two breaks of serve to clinch the tie-break 6-3. Kasatkina broke serve in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead, but Kenin won the final three games with two breaks of serve to close the second set 6-4.
Katie Boulter cruised past Bianca Andreescu 6-2 6-1. Boulter broke twice in the first and fifth games to win the first set 6-2. Boulter earned three breaks to cruise through to a 6-1 in the second set.
Andreescu had advanced to the quarter final after Beatriz Haddad Maia was forced to withdraw from the match when she was trailing 0-3 in the opening set due to a left back injury.
